Legislation uses cost-effective approach giving Arizona access to state-of-the-art technology to securely deliver unemployment insurance payments to Arizonans in a timely manner
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema cosponsored the Unemployment Insurance Technology Modernization Act to invest in technology to help Arizona provide timely and accurate delivery of unemployment insurance payments and better identify fraudulent claims during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Arizonans out of work through no fault of their own have spent countless hours navigating a complicated system trying to access unemployment insurance. Our legislation strengthens security and helps ensure accurate, timely delivery of unemployment payments during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Sinema.
The Unemployment Insurance Technology Act directs the U.S. Department of Labor to work with governmental and private sector experts to develop a suite of unemployment insurance technologies and systems. This legislation utilizes a more cost-effective approach allowing Arizona to access newly developed technologies, with the flexibility of choosing which new capabilities the state wants to implement to preserve local control.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Arizona’s and many states’ outdated unemployment systems were not equipped to handle the increased demand and higher fraud rates. Sinema’s legislation gives Arizona and states access to modernized unemployment insurance technologies.
Sinema’s casework team assisted hundreds of Arizonans navigate a slow and unresponsive state unemployment insurance system, fight fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, and help legitimate unemployment insurance claimants who had their benefits denied because of broad fraud sweeps. This legislation would strengthen security and accurate and timely delivery of unemployment payments to Arizonans during the coronavirus pandemic.